A couple of months ago, I wrote a column about how NBA commissioner David Stern’s voiding of the original Chris Paul trade had made a mockery of the New Orleans Hornets, who following the approved Chris Paul trade were making no effort to compete. There was predictable backlash, mostly from Hornets fans who disagreed with my premise that making the playoffs – no matter how short your stay – is always better than intentionally stinking up the joint for several years
Turns out the “Boston Strangler”’ did show up Saturday night on the Garden’s parquet floor, where the Sixers valiantly made their last stand, yet still came up short, 85-75, to Rajon Rondo and the Celtics. Rather than Andrew Toney squeezing the life out of the opposition, this time the Sixers collectively did it to themselves. The Celtics were there to be taken. Through the bulk of three periods, they struggled with their shots and had a hard time keeping up with the younger,
// Frank Vogel made a major mistake last night, IMHO. I compliment him for everything he has accomplished this season, I admire his youthful enthusiasm, but I question his wisdom today — the day after Indiana’s season ended in a Game 6 loss at home in which the Pacers never fully took advantage of the big-man advantage they had with Udonis Haslem out serving a one-game suspension. With exactly 3 minutes left in the first quarter, Vogel subbed out David West,
Amarillo Slim at the 1974 World Series of Poker
So the Sixers and Celtics will resume hostilities in Game 7 at Boston on Saturday. The Celtics have a badly needed extra day of rest. They have the advantage of playing on their home floor. They have plenty of postseason experience. And they also have better players, which always helps. The Sixers were supposed to have started their offseason two weeks ago. They nudged their way into the playoffs as an eighth seed that had been playing poorly for six weeks. They
Wednesday was my 16th wedding anniversary. It also was the 30th anniversary of one of the most anticipated playoff games in NBA history – Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. The rivals met in the conference finals in three consecutive years from 1980-82. In 1981, the Sixers opened a 3-1 lead before the Celtics won the next three games by a combined five points. The following year, the Sixers again opened a 3-1
“So you’re telling me there’s a chance! ‘’— Jim Carrey, Dumb and Dumber PHILADELPHIA — Actually, the resilient Philadelphia 76ers have a much better chance beating the Boston Celtics in a decisive seventh game Saturday at the new Garden than the one-in-a-million shot Jim Carrey’s character did of getting the girl. You might not normally think that. You might think Doug Collins’ team, which staved off the executioner by grinding out an 82-75 Game 6 victory before a packed house that included
As the Philadelphia 76ers ponder how to avoid elimination at home in Game 6 against the Boston Celtics, they will have to begrudgingly acknowledge the fact that Brandon Bass – the Celtics fifth-best option – simply cannot be ignored. Bass went off for a career playoff-high 27 points in Game 5, including 18 third-quarter points that outscored the entire 76ers team by 2 points. The question is, if the 76ers are unable to play help defense because of Bass’ ability to hit